The Black-Bellied Tarantula 21 



bee, protesting against the reception given 

 her. This is followed by a long silence. Then 

 I remove the bottle and dip a long-jawed 

 forceps into the pit. I withdraw the Bumble- 

 bee, motionless, dead, with hanging proboscis. 

 A terrible tragedy must have happened. The 

 Spider follows, refusing to let go so rich a 

 booty. Game and huntress are brought to the 

 orifice. Sometimes, mistrustful, the Lycosa 

 goes in again ; but we have only to leave the 

 Bumble-bee on the threshold of the door, or 

 even a few inches away, to see her reappear, 

 issue from her fortress and daringly recapture 

 her prey. This is the moment : the house is 

 closed with the finger, or a pebble ; and, as 

 Baglivi says, * captatur tamen ista a rustico 

 insidiatore,' to which I will add, * adjuvante 

 Bombo.' ^ 



The object of these hunting methods was not 

 exactly to obtain Tarantulse ; I had not the 

 least wish to rear the Spider in a bottle. 

 I was interested in a different matter. Here, 

 thought I, is an ardent huntress, living solely 

 by her trade. She does not prepare preserved 



* ' Thanks to the Bumble-bee.' 



